


Booty

by Kalira



Series: The Rise of Umigakure (and its Pirate Ninja Empress) [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: (I have put entirely too much thought into this 'verse I never intended to actually write), (the Pirate Ninja Hidden Village), (which is a fleet of ships), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Humor, I Did That, Kidnapping, Naruto Rare Pair Bingo 2019, Pirate Captain Sakura, Pirate Ninja, Pirate Ninja Empress Sakura, Pirates, Umigakure, Zabuza-sensei, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-24 14:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19725310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: Kisame is captured and taken as a prize to the Captain and Kage of Umigakure . . . an entirely new kind of hidden village, and one he unexpectedly finds his place in.





	Booty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Naruto Rare Pair Bingo 2019](http://naruto-rarepair-bingo.tumblr.com/), for the space 'High Seas' on Board A & 'Missing Nin/Akatsuki' on Board B.
> 
> On a mission from Konohagakure to Nami no Kuni as a genin, Sakura got lost . . . and then found. Now she's all grown. The world may never be the same.

Kisame tensed, looking around and reaching for Samehada’s handle. It vibrated against his back in a reassuring fashion, and he lowered his hand and continued on, not sure what had ruffled his senses. _Something_ felt not-right, he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

That was when they _jumped_ him; Kisame swung Samehada around and bared his teeth in glee at the thought of a new fight with ninja good enough to sneak _this close_ to him.

He shouldn’t have been, perhaps, he thought when next he woke - a little surprised to still be alive, after such a hard fight and then . . . nothingness - finding himself trapped in some kind of seal . . . or possibly a box. He twisted and lashed out. Both, maybe. He struggled but his strength was sapped by something burning at the nape of his neck, and the box he was trapped in barely even gave beneath his hardest hits.

Kisame kept fighting it until his strength gave out entirely, and he faded out of awareness again, still locked within the seal-wound trap.

Exhaustion or no, he gave it another try every time he woke, wearing himself out quicker and quicker each time but unable to do anything else. He heard his captors’ voices sometimes, but was never taken from the box, never had more done to him than the seals already holding him, and they never tried to stop him fighting their trap.

Which probably meant there was no way he could break free of the seals - at least _they_ thought so. But Kisame was stronger than most people credited even by looking at him. If he broke it when they thought it impossible, he would have an advantage in facing them - taking the chance to reclaim Samehada and flee, or take them down and _then_ flee.

“Captain! Captain!”

Kisame winced at the new call beginning above his head, wondering where he was now and _why_. The call spread, not just his immediate captors now, but more and more voices chorusing for their Captain. He sighed.

He was shocked when the box suddenly shuddered around him and then fell open.

Kisame lunged upwards, lashing out with one hand and dropping back into a ready stance the moment the blow landed. Unfortunately it did almost no damage, and Kisame’s planned twist to bolt off what proved - to his surprise - to be a ship was embarrassingly easily stymied by nothing more than a single pair of ninja who came to block him.

He snarled as one of them punched him in the ribs, lunging for the man, and found himself seized and unceremoniously hefted into the air.

Kisame was unaccustomed to being hefted _anywhere_. He found he did not like it. He was slightly less displeased at the revelation that he was on a ship - though it was far enough out to see he could not make out land, which presented a slightly bigger problem. If he could get off the ship he would be fine; the only trouble would be choosing the direction in which to swim, and his sharks might be of some help there, if only he could get off the ship and away and summon them.

“Captain!”

“We have raided Mizu no Kuni and returned with booty!”

“Excellent!” several voices roared.

Kisame was swung around and plopped on the deck of the ship. He snarled again, but found a trio of swords at his throat before he could move.

“What the _hell_ am I doing here?” Kisame demanded, and then froze as a very familiar blade found his chin. He looked up the length of Kubikiribouchou to find it was indeed still wielded by Zabuza. “Zabuza?”

“Tch. Have you become such a land shark, Kisame?” Zabuza asked, grinning ferally, his eyes glinting.

Kisame growled at him, struggling up - he was a little surprised to be allowed to his feet, but he straightened and glared down at Zabuza all the same. “What am I doing here.” he demanded again, clipped and flat.

“We’ve been competing.”

Kisame looked around at the source of the voice, finding a very cheerful-looking ninja who didn’t quail at _all_ when Kisame bared his teeth at him. Not, Kisame could admit to himself at least, that he seemed to pose much of a threat to them at the moment.

They had captured him before, when he was armed with Samehada, and now Zabuza stood there, _with_ Kubikiribouchou, and he bore limiting seals besides.

“Competing.” Kisame repeated.

“To see who can best please Captain with the booty they bring back! As a present!” offered another ninja cheerfully.

Kisame’s eyes widened. “Wait. And you stole _me_?” The ninja he was glaring at opened his mouth, but Kisame had hit another thought, turning back to Zabuza. “Who’s the Captain? You?”

Zabuza’s smile shifted . . . _weirdly_ , looking almost _soft_ , even as he bared his filed-sharp fangs with it. “Nope. My second student.”

“. . .you have a second student?” Kisame questioned blankly. “You took a student?”

“Yes, yes.” Zabuza said, with a little huffing laugh. “She’s-”

“ _She?_ You took a _female_ student?” Kisame eyed his old teammate warily.

“Yeah, yeah.” Zabuza waved Kisame off with a roll of his eyes like that wasn’t _bizarre_ , and Kisame snorted. “She’s right here.”

Kisame followed his gesture immediately, and cocked his head. “That’s Haku. I remember seeing him. Fleetingly, because you wouldn’t let him anywhere near any of us.” He grinned; Zabuza’s protectiveness had been amusing, if perhaps not misguided, in all honesty, with the Seven Swordsmen. “Good choice. Delicate little-”

Zabuza swatted his head. “ _Behind_ Haku, you fish-brained moron.”

“Hiya!”

Kisame stared at the tiny girl - woman - as she bounced out around Haku, who favoured her with a soft-eyed smile as she went. She looked up at Kisame. “Oo! I _approve_!”

Kisame’s eyebrows rose. “You’re the Captain?” he asked uncertainly. This tiny girl with leaf-green eyes and soft pink hair that flowed around her shoulders, thick with jingling bells and jade beads?

“ _Yep!_ ” the woman said brightly. “Welcome to Umigakure!”

“What.” Kisame said vaguely, blinking at her.

Haku slipped up at her side. “Sakura-chan . . . are you _sure_ you like this one? There have been many impressive presents, and this one,” he swept Kisame with a delicately disdainful look; Kisame snarled at him, but he barely flicked an eyebrow, “seems a little _slow_.”

“Ohhh I think he could . . . _work_.” Sakura said, with a wicked little smile on her pretty pink mouth. “Flex, present!” she demanded suddenly, pointing at him, imperious.

“I. . .” Kisame absently raised one arm, curling it in over his shoulder. “Okay, _why_ the-” He shook his head. “That is-”

“ _Nice!_ I definitely approve!” Sakura said, clapping her hands.

Zabuza laughed, patting her shoulder. “Come on, Kisame. Time to stop being a land shark and answering to idiots; return to the sea.” he said, giving Kisame an almost friendly look. “It’s not a bad place, Umigakure. My clever girl.” He tugged a strand of Sakura’s hair lightly, its ornaments jingling as she giggled and preened.

“You,” Kisame hesitated, “are sure about this.” He wasn’t sure himself whether he was asking about _Umigakure_ , or about _him_.

“For a long time I planned to go back and take Kiri,” Zabuza said, looking a shade more solemn, “then the flower here thought . . . well, the best ninja village is one you can’t find at all, don’t you think? Because _it never stops moving_.”

“So your ‘village’ is a ship, you’re a pirate now, _you’re_ the Captain,” Kisame turned to glance at the woman, “and I’m . . . booty.”

“Yep!” Sakura said brightly. “Although,” she raised her eyebrows, “it’s not _a_ ship. It’s twenty-three. Thus far. We’re a _village_ , not a crew.”

Kisame just managed to keep his jaw from dropping as he followed her gesturing hand and realised that while he had been distracted the ship had not only continued sailing but . . . evidently met up with what was now more than a dozen other ships, most of them the same size, in a fleet gathering around them. All of them flew the same standard; black with a fanged skull in profile, a broad sword angled behind it, and a pink sakura bloom in front.

“So. . . Can you be a ninja without your shirt?” Sakura asked, and Kisame blinked, looking at her.

“Sakura-chan!” Zabuza said, sounding exasperated.

“. . .sure, why?” Kisame replied blankly, meeting Sakura’s eyes again, still wrong-footed from the sight of the _fleet_. Village. A floating - _sailing_ \- pirate, hidden ninja _village_.

“Because the Captain _approves_ ,” Sakura said, grin widening and eyes sweeping him from head to foot and back again, “of this booty.”

“Be grateful she isn’t asking you to do so without your pants as well.” Haku said in a flat tone. “Sakura-chan has _no_ self-restraint.” He pinched her ear and she giggled again.

“I mean.” Kisame began. “I could probably do that, too. If I needed to.”

Sakura’s eyes returned to him, a faint flush on her cheeks as she examined him once more. Kisame shed his shirt. Sakura’s eyes trailed down his chest and she licked her lips, drawing the lower one between her teeth as a slow smile spread across her face. “ _Very_ nice, booty.” she said, then winked at him and turned away, striding off.

“What-” Kisame began, and Zabuza clapped him on the back.

“Sensei will help you get settled in!” Sakura called back as she trotted up to the wheel.

Kisame looked around at Zabuza, who grinned. It was almost a nice grin. “Just until we’re sure you’re . . . _settled_. Wouldn’t want any Umigakure shinobi getting any ideas about betraying us.”

“Do you get all your ninja by kidnapping them?” Kisame asked dryly as he allowed himself to be brought belowdecks.

“Only ones they think will particularly please the Captain.” Zabuza said with a snicker. “Most of the presents,” he added as he showed Kisame to his cabin, where Kisame would be bunking under his watchful company, “have been . . . not ninja. Objects, rather than people.”

Kisame gave a hmph, not sure how he felt about being a notable exception on that score, any more than he was about being _booty_ in the first place.

Leading him back out of the rather cluttered bunk, Zabuza answered Kisame’s curiosity about the . . . ‘village’ with equanimity and took him around the ship - Captain Sakura’s flagship - they were on. Kisame even got the seal suppressing his strength removed, along with the one dampening his chakra, to his surprise.

Zabuza grinned at him. “Try anything in the heart of Umigakure and even _you_ might find out how cruel the sea can be.” he warned. “Besides,” he snorted, “Captain wants you given the option to become one of hers.”

Kisame _wanted_ Samehada back, longed for his dear friend, but he was still rather stunned to actually have his sword dropped back into his hand less than a full day after he’d been tipped out of the seal-wrapped box on board Sakura’s flagship. He stared, fingers curling around the hilt as he felt Samehada’s chakra flare and coil lovingly with his own.

A shout disturbed him from his contemplation and Kisame found himself dragged off into a full-tilt battle. He joined in with delight, and found his feet among the . . . Umigakure ninja easily enough, grinning and finding equally delighted faces around him as battles ebbed and flowed and they overran the small convoy of ships they had attacked.

No one took Samehada away again after - no one even tried, not that Kisame had held any intention of giving it up - and Kisame slept that night with it leaning into the side of his hammock, cradled close. He woke the next morning to the gift of a new harness to take its weight, and happily donned both harness and sword.

Zabuza left Kubikiribouchou in the bunk most of the time, and it _was_ more comfortable not to carry such a large sword everywhere on board ship, but Kisame wasn’t quite ready to let it go again. He could manage well enough - besides, he was bigger than Zabuza, and Samehada, when not gorging itself, was a bit smaller and more manageable than Kubikiribouchou. He petted the hilt, and Samehada thrummed happily at his back.

Perhaps eventually he would leave it behind while he worked, shy of battles in action - or the off-chance of being sent on a mission? - but not for now.

“So, Kisame. . .”

Kisame paused in his walk across the deck, turning and looking up for the - his? - Captain.

“Now that you’re settled in,” Sakura said, kicking one foot idly, perched on the railing of the level above the deck where he stood; it put her dangling feet no higher than his shoulders, “you do like it here, yes?”

“I do.” Kisame admitted honestly. He loved being back near the sea, out _on_ it even better, and Umigakure was . . . _fun_. He’d hardly been here for long but then, how long did he need to know that he loved the place and was comfortable here?

Even if he’d been dragged here in a box . . . it wasn’t the worst he’d been through in search of or travel to a new home, a new allegiance, by far. And this very well might be his favourite he had ever been offered . . . and kidnapping, ‘booty’, surprise for the Captain or no, it _did_ seem strangely to be an _offer_ , to his surprise.

“Then you have a choice to make.” Sakura said with a bright grin, uncrossing her legs and then crossing them again the other way, leaning forwards a little.

“I want to stay.” Kisame said immediately. “I’ll swear to it - you - as a shinobi of Umigakure.”

Sakura giggled. “Oh, that’s excellent, but that’s not your question.” She tsked, and Kisame frowned. Sakura wiggled her foot and tilted her head, with a soft chime of the bells wound into her petal-pink hair.

“What . . . do I have to decide on, then?” Kisame asked.

“Two options, booty!” Sakura said, lifting her chin and smiling at him. “One, you become one of my pirate ninja and take missions and fight with us!” Kisame hummed with pleasure at the thought. “Or! You can lounge at my feet and feed me grapes while I’m being all Captainly.” She waggled her eyebrows, looking at him expectantly.

Kisame eyed her, wondering how serious she truly was. “Can I do both?” he asked, because he loved his new duties - tentative as they had been, and really only given to him under Zabuza or Haku’s watchful eyes; he knew even now Haku was nearby, watching - but he’d hate to give up a chance like _Sakura_. A woman like Sakura. If it were really a chance.

“ _Hells yes!_ ” Sakura cried delightedly, kicking her feet and bouncing off the railing.

Kisame caught her, startled to suddenly have her all but falling on him, and she giggled delightedly, sliding her hands over her shoulders. “I suppose,” Kisame said after a moment, “I still continue being a ninja without a shirt?”

“ _Also_ hell yes.” Sakura said with a smirk, and _kneaded_ his shoulders, like a kitten. She made an appreciative little purring noise, and Kisame’s grip on her tightened without his conscious direction. She wriggled against him and gave a little scratch of her nails down his chest that made his pulse jump and a grin spread across his face.

Sakura’s smirk widened. Then she twisted and somehow slipped his grip, dropping to the deck, and Kisame huffed softly in disappointment.

Sakura giggled and let her eyes drag over him from head to toe, then caught his gaze. “Maybe we’ll see how well you do without the pants, too.” she said archly, then winked and turned, sauntering off with a soft chiming of bells as Kisame’s eyes dropped to trail appreciatively over her figure.

**Omake:**

“I just feel like I should be down there with the others.” Kisame said, _not_ sulkily, and brought a piece of fruit to his Captain’s lips.

Sakura took it with a pleased hum, licking his fingers and shifting the calf draped over his shoulder. Kisame rubbed his cheek against it absently and she petted his arm, looking off towards the coastline.

“None of us are going forward yet.” Sakura supplied, toying with Kisame’s fingers, then sliding her feet to the deck around his legs and rising. Kisame looked up, beginning to rise, but Sakura was already turning away, walking for the rail. “Not _us_.”

Then she dropped over the side. Kisame glanced at Haku, waiting nearby, perched on the rail over the drop to the main deck, and he only smiled peaceably. Kisame went to look over the railing and down to the water, where Sakura stood atop the lapping waves only a few steps away from the ship.

She ran through a few seals, then crouched and pressed her hands to the sea’s surface, and Kisame braced himself absently for a suiton jutsu that would rock the ship, but . . . nothing happened. He looked around, then down again, and Sakura rose, flicking her clothes back into place with an absent gesture before she scaled the side of the ship once more.

Kisame offered her a hand absently as she reached the railing, and she giggled as she took it, leaning up to kiss his cheek. Then she hopped over and back onto the deck, returning to her chair.

“Captain,” Kisame said, though he obligingly returned to his place at her feet, “are we not attacking the holding?”

“Of course we are.” Sakura said with a wicked grin. “After they’ve been . . . softened up a little.”

“What-” Kisame broke off, eyes widening, as the ship rocked. Sakura gestured magnanimously, and he rose again to look out ahead of the ship, as she had indicated.

The water was rough around them - around _all_ the ships, and working up to the coastline.

Kisame swore softly as tentacles began to erupt from the water. They were near the coast, and they _kept growing_ , more and more length of the great tentacles emerging from the water, growing thicker and thicker, until finally a powerful body began to rise. Pieces of rock fell away like so much dust as tentacles grabbed and thrashed at the walls, the coastline, and Kisame could distantly hear the cries of alarm from those in the holding.

“A _kraken_?” Kisame said, turning back to his Captain to find her allowing Haku to wrap the bloody gash in her palm.

Sakura giggled.

“Sakura-chan returned from one of her _adventures_ when she was younger having obtained their contract,” Haku said, reaching up and tweaking Sakura’s ear, “though she did not _tell us_ this until she _summoned one_.”

“How. . .” Kisame stared at Sakura in renewed awe and she waggled the fingers of her unbandaged hand at him.

“I found a baby in a fisherman’s net and I set it free.” Sakura said, then hummed, crossing her legs and tilting sideways in her chair. “I thought it was an octopus, but when I set it free, we . . . accidentally _both_ wound up with the Elder Krakens.”

Kisame looked at the gargantuan creature now remoulding the shoreline, then back at his Captain as he drifted towards her, riding high on amazement.

“They liked me.” Sakura said simply, voice light.

“You are a wonder.” Kisame said, crouching and leaning close to kiss her as she hummed with pleasure, stroking a hand over his shoulder. “My Captain.”

Sakura tugged him down and kissed him harder, lighting adrenaline in his blood, then pushed past him and bounded to her feet. The ship shuddered beneath them and there was an almighty crash of stone, and Kisame turned with a feral grin spreading across his face, reaching for Samehada, as his Captain called out orders in a gleeful, wild shout for the attack on the now demoralised and shaken stronghold.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/Kalira) or [Dreamwidth](https://kalira.dreamwidth.org)!


End file.
